Yummy Chicken Tortilla Soup in Clay: for the Snow-Bound!

Well, the snow has hit again on the East Coast. And while I’m sitting here, suffering through our treacherous weather in the low 70’s, battling the brightness of the sunshine; I just want to say I feel for all of you that are snowed in right now.

Seriously, though: this post is for you. Because when you’re cold, there’s nothing like a warm bowl of soup. It’s nourishing; it’s comforting; it’s delicious and filling. And it’s so very versatile! Just switching up a few ingredients or key spices can create a totally different flavor, texture, and experience.

Ingredients:

2lb pastured or organic chicken meat (bones and skin are a bonus!)

1 tomato, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2-4 chile peppers, chopped finely (type and amount to taste)

1 cup enchilada sauce

3 c broth

1 T cumin

1 T turmeric powder (because I add it to everything)

1 T chili powder

1 t salt

dash of black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 cup organic * corn (fresh or frozen)

Topping ingredients

1 T chopped cilantro

tortilla chips

thin slices of avocado

lime wedges

shredded cheese

Directions:

Toss all of the regular (not topping) ingredients into the clay pot, and stir to combine.

Close and seal, set to “soup” and cook 1-2 hours (if the pieces of chicken are not huge, 1 hour is enough).

Shred the chicken meat, removing any bones.

Break up a few tortilla chips and sprinkle them on top of each bowl so they stay crunchy.

Garnish with cheese, lime wedges, cilantro and avocado slices.

You can spice it up or down according to your preference. Just add more chili powder or less! You can also mix it up by adding different veggies, like okra, peas, carrots, celery, shallots… really anything will work and add more veggie goodness, bulk and flavor!

* These days I won't buy corn unless it's organic, because a couple of years ago GMO sweet corn was unleashed upon the population (before that it had been reserved for other corn, used for high fructose corn syrup and other ingredients). See this if you're still on the fence about GMOs in your food. (Also, since most feedlot animals are fed corn and soy to fatten them up, I don't eat meat that isn't organic either, since other animals have assuredly been consuming GMOs their whole lives).